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Tryptophan MRI in People With Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls

NCT02067975 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2/PHASE3 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 93

Last updated 2024-07-30

Study results available
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Summary

Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain. Studies with rodents indicate that levels of KYNA can impact levels of the neurotransmitters glutamate and dopamine. One way to reliably increase KYNA levels is by ingesting the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is a normal part of the human diet. Tryptophan gets metabolized/changed to other chemicals in the body- including KYNA. By giving people 6 grams of tryptophan, the investigators will be able to increase the KYNA level in a controlled way. The investigators will then be able to study the effects of KYNA on neurotransmitters by using cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging techniques (measuring brain activity and brain chemistry using the MRI magnet). They will test people using tryptophan and also using a placebo to look for differences. The investigators will test healthy controls and people with schizophrenia to look for differences.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Tryptophan

DRUG

Placebo

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

    collaborator INDUSTRY

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    collaborator NIH

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Robert W Buchanan, M.D. · University of Maryland, Baltimore

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
55 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2014-08-14
Primary Completion
2019-12-31
Completion
2019-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Drugs
Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02067975 on ClinicalTrials.gov